Collapsible display stand



,0. F. SNIDER CQLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY swam) Filed Feb. 12. 1941 Patented Nov. 24, 1942 COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY STAND Donald F. Snider, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 12, 1941, Serial No. 3781519 1 Claim.

The invention relates to an improvement in collapsible display stands.

The display stand is one of a type made of cardboard foldable to lie flat, and when in display form makes an open top receptacle, within which articles of merchandise may be displayed.

The object of the invention is that a display stand of the above character will embody any one or all of the following advantages:

That it will occupy as little space as possible when folded;

That when in display form it will be attractive;

One that may be transformed into display form from its flat fold quickly and easily; and

When in display form will possess desired rigidity of structure.

The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawing where an embodiment thereof is shown,and in which Fig. '1 is a View in perspective of the display stand as set up.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the stand when collapsed; and

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The display stand comprises, essentially, two main sections I and 2, formed out of a single, or integral, piece of cardboard folded upon itself along a fold line 3, and the free ends 4 and 5 of which are brought together and permanently secured in any suitable manner, as by staples 6. From the stapling between these ends, to the fold line 3, the distance is the same for the two main sections, in order that they may lie flat when the display stand is collapsed. It is these main sections, held spread apart and provided with fold lines and other incidents, that make the body of the stand with contained open receptacle when the display stand is in its display form.

When the display stand is in its display form as shown in Fig. 1 the stapled ends '4 and 5 of the respective sections I and 2 form a portion of the vertical back of the stand. This back is preferably extended upward from the part 4 of the section I to provide a display panel 7.

Where the parts of the sections I and 2 are brought together, to form the stapled ends 4 and 5, a fold line 8 is formed in the section I. From this fold line 8 the section I turns in a forward direction, and by cuts, fold lines, and bends -therein, assists in giving form to the body of the stand, and the open receptacle formed within it. These cuts and fold lines include cuts to I l-i l; I2I 2; I3-I3; I4I4; I5; I6I6; I'd-11, and It, as

lapsed. From the cuts thus made there are obtained, among other incidents, the widely spaced armforming plates Zfi2fl which extend from the fold line 8 horizontally in a forward direction. The forward ends of these arm forming plates have an easy downward bend and hingedly connect, respectively, with a plate 2'I common to both. This plate extends laterally across the front face of the stand, and when the stand is set up has preferably a slight backward inclination. The plate II is hingedlyconnected tothe section 2', of the main sections, along the fold line 3. The downward inclination of the arm forming plates 2il20 and their hinged connection to the plate-2i are obtained by fold lines 22-22; 2323; and 2424, respectively. These fold lines lie parallel with one another, and parallel to the back of the stand. By them is obtained the hinged plates 2525 and 2.8'-26 by which the ends of the arm folding plates Zo -2'0 are turned down to hingedly connect with the plate 2I as aforesaid.

From the cuts thus made there are also obtained leaves *28-28 which are hingedly connected, respectively, to the arm forming plates 2Il2fl along fold lines 2929 which extend in directions normal to the back of the stand. The hinged connection of these leaves enables them to be turned down to occupy vertical positions, whence is formed the open top receptacle 30 to the body of the stand, which is closed along its sides by the respective leaves 28-48, and at the front by the face plate 2|.

The section 2, of the main sections, extends backwardly from the fold line 3 to form a base plate 3|, on which the stand rests and which closes the bottom of said open receptable. Along the rear end of this plate, forward of the plane in which lies the back of the stand, the section 2 is provided with a fold line 32 from which extends upwardly a plate section 33 with backward inclination. This plate section extends into the plane of the back of the stand and is there provided with a broken fold line 34 from which rises,

' vertically, a plate 35 which forms a part of the back of the stand, and merges into the stapled end portion 5 of the section 2. The plates 33 and 35 form the back to the receptacle 3B in the body of the stand.

Out of the plate 33 is cut a fin 36. This fin has unhinged connection with the back plate 35 along the line of the broken fold line 34. The length of the out of the fin in the plate '33 is such that when the stand is in its display form viewed in Fig. 3 where the stand is shown 001- the fin will occupy an out-turned position away from the inclined plate 33 from which it is cut, and lie substantially in the plane of the back of the stand with extension into the plane of the base plate 3|, thereby forming a back brace assisting in the support of the stand when in its display form.

Formed in the inclined plate section 33 on 0pposite sides of the opening therein from which the fin 3B is cut, spaced from this opening, are longitudinal slots 38, 38. These slots lie within vertical planes passing substantially through the inner edges of the side arms 20, 29, and bear certain relationship to tabs 31, 31 on the rear edges of the leaves 28, 28, hingedly connected to the side arms, the tabs being adaptable to enter the slots in the inclined plate when the leaves are turned down and the stand is in its display form.

When flat, as shown in Fig. 4, the display stand is converted into its display form by manually separating the main sections I and 2 of the stand and turning down the leaves 28, 28. As the leaves are turned down the tabs 31 on the rear edges of the leaves will drag over the surface of the inclined plate 33 and slip into the slots 38 in this plate. This operation is initially obtained by exerting slight pressure upon the leaves which will cause a slight distortion or bending of the plate 33 before the tabs fit into the sockets. After the tabs have once entered the sockets in the plate the leaves will then be held in vertical position fixedly in place, closing the sides of the open top receptacle 30 of the stand, with bearing at the front against the plates 2|, 25, 26, against the bottom plate 3|, inclined plate 33, and back plate 35. At the same time, attending these same operations, the fin 36 will have become turned out into alignment with the back of the stand, engaging the base on which the stand is resting and thereby assisting in the stable support of the stand.

The collapse of the stand is effected simply by a reverse operation. The inclined plate 33 is bent sufiiciently to release the tabs on the leaves from the slots in this plate when the leaves may be turned up and the whole display stand made to lie flat.

If desired holes may be made in the arms 20, 20, within which may be placed articles for display like those contained in the open top receptacle 33.

I claim:

In a display stand of the type specified the combination comprising a back, spaced side arms hingedly connected to the back, a front hingedly connected to the fore ends of the side arms, a bottom hingedly connected to the front, a plate section hingedly connected to the bottom and the back, its hinged connection to the bottom lying forward of the plane of the back when the stand is in its display form, and its hinged connection to the back then lying substantially in the plane of the back whereby the plate section will occupy an inclined position, said plate section having spaced longitudinal slots cut therein lying within vertical planes passing substantially through the inner edges of said side arms, a fin cut from said plate section in the part thereof lying between said slots and having unhinged connection with the back along the line of the hinged connection of said plate section to the back, leaves hingedly connected, respectively, to the inner edges of said spaced side arms, and adaptable to occupy downturned positions when the display stand is in its display form, and tabs on the rear ends of said leaves adaptable, respectively, to enter the slots cut in said inclined plate section when the leaves are occupying their downturned positions and the stand is in its display form.

DONALD F. SNIDER. 

